ENG-2015 — Page 247

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Planning, Land and Infrastructure

Most of the major flood prevention works in the New Territories have been completed, including about 102.5km of trained rivers, about 25.4km of stormwater drains and 27 village floodwater pumping schemes. The department also started the planning, design and construction of improvement works to about 14.3km of rivers and about 14.6km of stormwater drains in the northern and northwestern New Territories to cater for local developments and to address probable effects of climate change.

Phase 1 of Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme was commissioned in March 2015, substantially raising the flood prevention capacity of Happy Valley and Wan Chai. Phase 2 of the scheme and the Kai Tak River Improvement Works, when completed in phases by 2018, will further reduce the risk of flooding in the relevant areas. The department has applied to the Kai Tak River Improvement Works a concept of revitalising water bodies to promote greening, biodiversity, beautification and water friendliness to turn the drainage facility into a green river corridor in addition to enhancing flood prevention.

The department carries out regular inspection, de-silting and repair works for drainage systems. In 2015, it inspected about 2,253km of drains and watercourses and spent about $160 million on maintenance work.

Slope Safety

The Civil Engineering and Development Department's comprehensive slope safety system has brought about a substantial improvement in slope safety by improving standards and technology, ensuring all new man-made slopes meet the current safety standards, improving the safety of existing man-made slopes, and mitigating natural terrain landslide risks. The department also issues landslip warnings and provides information, education and community advisory services on slope safety.

Under a long-term Landslip Prevention and Mitigation Programme, the department spent about $1.2 billion in 2015 to upgrade 155 substandard government man-made slopes and to mitigate the landslide risk of 33 natural hillside catchments, all landscaped to blend in with their surroundings. It also conducted safety screening studies on 102 private man-made slopes.

Water Supplies

Water from Guangdong

Hong Kong has received raw water from the Dongjiang since 1965 and this is now the city's major source of raw water. The current agreement for Dongjiang water supply maintains flexibility in the daily supply rate, securing a reliable source of supply and avoiding wastage of precious water resources. About 766 million cubic metres of Dongjiang water was imported in 2015.

Water Storage and Consumption

Full supply was maintained throughout the year, during which the territory recorded rainfall of about 1,875 millimetres. Storage reservoirs held some 401 million cubic metres of water at the end of 2015.

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